This article is part of Third Factor’s Story Behind the Story series, where we unpack both iconic and under-the-radar Olympic and Paralympic moments. In this feature, Monique Kavelaars, Director of Assessments & Team Coaching, reflects on lessons from the 2020 Tokyo Games, held at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. — The plane to Tokyo was silent. Back home in Canada, the Olympics would look the way they always do on polished TV broadcasts: sweeping shots of stadiums, stunning skylines, and close-ups of athletes at their best. But inside the aircraft carrying Canadian athletes to the Games, the feeling was entirely different. There was no buzz. No joking. No shared anticipation. Just quiet. And with it, a growing awareness among everyone on board: These Olympics would not feel like the Games we had all imagined. Normally, the Games are saturated with energy. The host city transforms. Flags line the streets. The weight and pride of representing your country hits the moment you step off the plane. Tokyo was different. These were the Games of 2021, delayed by a year due to the pandemic. The virus was still sweeping the world, and strict health protocols shaped every aspect of the experience. Athletes could arrive only days before their event and had to leave within 48 hours of competing. Movement was restricted. Social spaces were controlled. Spectators were absent. The usual swirl of family, friends, fans, and media simply wasn’t there. What emerged instead was an intimacy that was both unexpected and unsettling. For some athletes, the lack of external stimulation helped. Fewer distractions. Less noise. A clearer path to focus. For others – especially those in individual or multi-day events – the absence of atmosphere created a quiet, persistent question: Is this really the Olympics? At night, the stillness would occasionally break. Teams gathered inside their country residences, setting up projectors to watch events they would normally attend in person. When Italy’s Marcell Jacobs won the men’s 100 metres, the Italian residence erupted. No cameras captured it. The sounds of the celebration instead echoed through the village. The next day, that energy spilled into shared spaces in a way that rarely happens during the usual chaos of the Games. Athletes had to deal with a lot of downtime. With fewer ways to decompress – no exploring the city, no meals with family, no spontaneous celebrations – athletes were left mostly with their thoughts. For those processing a performance, especially one that didn’t go as planned, that isolation could feel heavy. Normally, there is movement, distraction, and connection. In Tokyo, there was often just a quiet walk back to a room. Coaches and federations worked hard to create some sense of normal. In many cases, their support was remarkable. But the conditions were far from ideal. All this raises a deeper question that extends far beyond sport: What do you do when the conditions you prepared for no longer exist? The lessons from Tokyo go well beyond the athletes to offices and boardrooms.

Lesson #1: Perfect Conditions Are a Myth

One of the clearest lessons from Tokyo is that “perfect conditions” are largely an illusion. Athletes spend years preparing, yet competition is always uncertain. They never know exactly how their body will respond, how opponents will perform, or what the environment will deliver on the day that matters most. Tokyo made that impossible to ignore. There were no guarantees. No familiar routines. No comforting rituals. Daily COVID testing became part of life. Every morning meant spitting in a tube and waiting. Stories circulated of athletes testing positive and being sent to the “fever clinic.” Each time, the village would ripple with silent worry. And still, athletes showed up to compete. I remember one athlete in an individual event whose entire Olympic experience lasted nine minutes. One performance. First round. Done. This was not the Games she had imagined. Within 48 hours, she was on a plane home. When we spoke, she was heartbroken. Not just about the result, but about the experience she missed. She couldn’t explore Tokyo. She couldn’t soak up the atmosphere and carry it forward into the next four-year cycle. “I don’t want to go yet,” she said. “I still want to feel the Olympics.” That moment captured the emotional whiplash of Tokyo. Years of preparation compressed into minutes, followed by an abrupt exit from a city she barely saw. And yet, she stepped in knowing this might happen. That willingness to enter uncertainty is the essence of sport. It also mirrors leadership and business more than we wish to admit. At work, we try to control what we can: plans, timelines, strategies, forecasts. We design “ideal conditions” in our heads and on our slides. But at some point, courage becomes simpler than that. We need to ask: What is mine to control right now? Then commit to that fully, even when the picture is incomplete. The bar shifts from “I will only perform if conditions are perfect” to “I will perform under the conditions that actually exist.” Listen to Monique describe how perfect conditions are a myth:

Lesson #2: Self-Awareness Is a Performance Skill

When the external environment changes, self-awareness becomes non-negotiable. It becomes a performance skill. Many athletes rely on specific conditions to bring out their best. Some feed off the energy of a crowd. Others depend on routines and rituals. Others draw strength from the presence of family or familiar faces. In Tokyo, much of that disappeared. Athletes were forced to ask new questions: These weren’t theoretical questions. You could see them play out in ordinary moments, like the dining hall. One day, news spread that a Dutch rower had tested positive. Soon after, their delegation began eating in a cordoned-off section tucked into a corner, behind additional glass partitions. They were in the same room as everyone else, yet unmistakably separated. The signal wasn’t just “they have COVID.” It was the uncertainty of not knowing who might be next. Everyone shared the same building, the same air. Suddenly, the invisible risk became visible. For some athletes, it triggered anxiety. For others, it sharpened focus. Either way, it demanded awareness – and more questions: The same holds true for leaders. In times of disruption, copying what works for others rarely works for us. The best coaches in Tokyo understood this. They protected individual performance needs rather than imposing a single approach on everyone. Self-awareness isn’t introspection for its own sake. It’s knowing what you need to sustain performance when familiar supports disappear – and being honest enough to ask for, or build, those conditions. Listen to Monique describe how self-awareness is a performance skill:

Lesson #3: Presence Calms the System

In Tokyo, just arriving felt like an achievement. Between testing protocols, travel restrictions, health concerns, and constant logistical hurdles, getting to the Games was a maze. For many athletes, coaches, and staff, stepping into the village carried real emotional weight. Thinking too far ahead—to medals, expectations, outcomes – only amplified anxiety. Presence became more than a mindset. It became a stabilizer. Staying anchored to the next task, the next decision, the next controllable action helped athletes manage fear, disappointment, and even success. Because even success was disorienting. Celebrations were brief. Support systems were limited. Within two days of competing, many athletes were back home, sitting on a familiar couch, trying to process an experience that ended almost as quickly as it began. Uncertainty didn’t end with competition. It followed them home. The parallel to today’s work environment is hard to miss. Markets shift. Plans change. AI is reshaping roles and workflows in ways we can see but not yet fully understand. Conditions are moving faster than our slide decks. The leaders who navigate this best aren’t the ones who eliminate uncertainty. They’re the ones who stay present inside it. Presence doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine. It means acknowledging what’s hard, then returning to a simple question: Given everything going on, what matters most right now? Listen to Monique describe how presence can help focus attention:

Beyond Tokyo: Adapting When the Script Changes

The Tokyo Games offered a powerful reminder: resilience isn’t about grinding endlessly. It’s about adapting intelligently when the script changes. It starts with acceptance. Some conditions are out of your control. The first step is to separate what you can’t influence from what you can – and invest your energy there. It also requires honest self-recognition: Finally, presence is a discipline. Returning attention to what matters now – not what you wish were different – creates space for better decisions and better performance. The dining hall in Tokyo captured this paradox perfectly. Athletes moved through masked, partitioned spaces. Delegations like the Dutch, seated behind glass after a positive case, were a constant reminder that uncertainty was everywhere. It was strange. At times chaotic. And undeniably real. Performance didn’t stop because conditions weren’t perfect. It adapted. And that may be the most enduring lesson of all.  

Build Resilience In Your Organization

Bring the skills that elite athletes use to build resilience and perform under pressure to your organization. Contact us to learn more about our resilience programs.

Bring skills that elite athletes use to build resilience to your organization. Contact us to learn more.

This article is part of Third Factor’s Story Behind the Story series, in which we unpack the stories behind both iconic and under-the-radar Olympic and Paralympic moments. In this feature, Olympian and Third Factor Associate Trainer Karyn Garossino discusses the importance of control and how it shaped her approach to competing at the Olympics. –

“In high-performance sport, and in fact much of all high performance, consistency is the holy grail.”

–Karyn Garossino

From the outside, Karyn and Rod Garossino’s ice dancing performance at the 1988 Calgary Olympics looked like a hometown dream. A brother and sister from rural Alberta. Competing for Canada. An Olympics on home ice. Five flawless performances on the biggest stage in sport. What people saw was excellence. What they did not see was how hard it was to stay steady enough to deliver it. For Karyn, the Olympics were shaped by two moments she could never have predicted. One came before the competition even began, while athletes waited to enter the opening ceremonies. The other came standing at centre ice, when a roaring hometown crowd would not stop cheering. Together, these moments revealed something essential about high performance: preparation matters, but so does an ability to adapt when things do not go as planned.

From Carstairs to the Olympic Stage

Karyn and her brother Rod grew up in Carstairs, Alberta, where skating was simply part of Prairie life. What started as a love of the sport became a serious pursuit, supported by strong coaching, family commitment, and years of disciplined training. In 1981, the pair won junior ice dance gold at the Canadian National Skating Championships, and throughout the decade, they competed at the highest level in Canadian, international and World Championships. Then Calgary won the bid to host the 1988 Olympic Games. Suddenly, the idea of competing at a hometown Games became real. As that moment got closer, so did the pressure. Like many athletes facing a once-in-a-lifetime moment, Karyn prepared not only physically but mentally for what it would feel like to perform under a global spotlight.

Different Fabric. Same Cloth.

One of Karyn’s most vivid Olympic memories came before the competition started. Athletes from around the world gathered in a staging area ahead of the opening ceremonies. Each team was dressed in its country’s colours. But as the wait stretched on, things got a little playful: jackets were briefly traded, hats and scarves were exchanged, and the differences between teams started to fade.

“We were wearing different fabric, but were cut from the same cloth.”

What Karyn felt in that moment was a deep sense of connection and the awe of belonging to the historic Olympic movement. These athletes represented different nations, but they shared similarities – years of sacrifice, discipline, routine, and the pursuit of excellence. In her words, “we were wearing different fabric, but were cut from the same cloth.” One by one the nations left to join the ceremonies saving the host country to march in last. Then Team Canada entered the stadium. The sound of 85,000 people thundered through the building. In that instant, she realized something else: This was not just her Olympics, or even just the athletes’ Olympics It was our Games. The moment belonged to everyone who had made it possible: athletes, coaches, families, volunteers, organizers, sponsors, and an entire country. What she expected to feel as an individual competitor became something much bigger: the incredible honour of wearing red and white and representing the extraordinary collective effort of a nation.

The Crowd Wouldn’t Stop Cheering

If the opening ceremonies created awe, the competition brought a different kind of pressure. When Karyn and Rod were announced onto centre ice, the crowd erupted. That part was expected. What was not was that the cheering didn’t stop. Normally, once skaters take their position, the arena quiets and the music begins. But this audience kept cheering, waving flags, and feeding even more energy into the building. The music could not start until the arena settled, so Karyn and Rod stood in position and waited. And waited. For a brief instant, they felt the weight of what was happening. They exchanged a smile and a shared realization: Oh my God, we’re at the Olympics. It was a deeply human moment. But it was also risky. Because even positive energy can get in the way of performance. The challenge was not only handling fear or adversity. It was managing excitement, emotion, and the significance of the moment. Karyn knew they had to get back to what they had trained for. They turned to breathwork, a skill they had practised for years to steady themselves under pressure. Within three exhales, they were back in form. Their activation level dropped. Their focus returned. Their physiology settled. The crowd eventually quieted, the music began, and they performed brilliantly. They achieved a 12th-place Olympic finish. The next year, they would win gold at the senior Canadian Championships. Looking back, what lessons did Karyn learn from her Olympic experience that are helpful to anyone facing high-performance situations? Here, she helps us understand three practical takeaways:

Lesson #1: Consistency Is Built Before the Moment

Karyn describes consistency as the holy grail of high performance: the ability to deliver what you are capable of in any condition, not just ideal ones. That consistency was built long before the moment arrived. Karyn and Rod prepared not only their skating but also their mindset. Through imagery and planning, they anticipated the noise, emotion, and pressure of the Games so they would not be overwhelmed. That is a critical lesson for any high achiever – whether in sports or business. The goal is not to hope everything goes perfectly. It is to be ready when it doesn’t. Consistency is not about controlling the environment. It is about training how to respond to it. Listen to Karyn describe how consistency is built before the moment:

Lesson #2: Control What You Can Control

One of Karyn’s clearest lessons from Calgary is simple: high performers must learn to distinguish between what they can control and what they cannot. She could not control the crowd. She could not make the audience quiet down. She could not change the scale of the moment. What she could control was her own internal state. That distinction matters because pressure grows when we fixate on things we cannot change. Recovery begins when we return to what we can manage: our breathing, our attention, our preparation, and our next move. In that moment on the ice, the solution for Karyn was not to fight the environment. It was to return to the training that brought her to the Games. Listen to Karyn distinguish what you can control and what you cannot:

Lesson #3: Breathwork Is a Performance Skill

Karyn is clear that the breathing exercise she used in Calgary was not improvised. She had practised it for years. Its purpose was to manage the body when the outside world became overwhelming. Slow, controlled breathing gave her a direct way to regulate her physiology and recover focus. Her method was simple: breathe low and breathe slow. Under pressure, breathing rises high into the chest and speeds up. But when breathing starts lower in the body, from the diaphragm, and the exhale lasts longer than the inhale, the body begins to relax. That matters because physiology drives performance. If your body is overstimulated, thinking narrows and execution suffers. When your physiology settles, your trained skill improves. In Calgary, three breaths were enough because Karyn and Rod’s skills were already there. That is what makes breathwork so powerful: it is not just a calming technique; it is a trained performance tool. Listen to Karyn provide insight into how breathwork is a performance skill:

Practical Tool: Return to Centre in Three Breaths

When pressure rises unexpectedly, use this simple reset: This is not about becoming calm for its own sake. It is about executing what you’re capable of and meeting the moment with excellence.  

Build Resilience In Your Organization

Bring the skills that elite athletes use to build resilience and perform under pressure to your organization. Contact us to learn more about our resilience programs.

15,000 athletes will compete in 878 events across 54 sports at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. To help you narrow in on what to watch, we asked our network of elite athletes, coaches and influencers to share the stories they’re most excited for. Here’s what they said.

Martha McCabe

3x Olympic swimmer, Founder, Head to Head

It might sound silly but one of the things I’m most excited about is for the athletes to experience a ‘normal’ Olympic Games. After an extremely challenging, delayed and socially distanced, Tokyo Games in 2021, this will be the first chance for summer athletes since 2016 to experience that real Summer Games feel. From socializing in the athlete village, to getting out into Paris after they compete to soak up the Games energy, it’ll be incredible! On the performance front, Summer McIntosh is the one to watch in swimming. She’ll have stiff competition with Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, and USA’s Katie Ledecky (among others!), but she’s proved she belongs with the best, and I think she’s got a great shot at some seriously well earned Olympic medals. I’m also really excited to see Josh Liendo lead a quickly improving men’s swim team. He, along with a few other young Canadian men (like Ilya Kharun) have proven that they’re not afraid of the big boys on the world stage, so I think they’ll be ready to leave their mark for Canada too.

When to watch

Summer McIntosh: July 27 – August 4 Josh Liendo: July 31, August 3, August 4 Ilya Kharun: July 31, August 3, August 4

Karen O’Neill

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE

There is incredible momentum leading into the Paris Paralympic Games. It signals to many Paralympic athletes a competition post-COVID, whereby their planning and preparation have been more within their control. For many, it is a chance to come back following the Summer Games in Tokyo with focus and determination to perform. Athletes heading into these Games are now in the final qualification period to secure a nomination to Team Canada. There are many exciting stories, with numerous first-time athletes heading to Paris. For some veterans, like the Women’s Goalball Team, it means securing a nomination for Team Canada. Let’s all cheer on Team Canada in this fierce and exciting competition from August 28 to September 8!

When to watch

Paralympic Games: August 28 – September 8 Women’s Goalball: August 29 – September 5

Debbie Low

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CANADIAN sport institute ontario

For me, one of the most exciting sports to watch at the Paris Olympic Games will be Women’s Beach Volleyball, featuring the Team Canada duo of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson. I worked with Melissa’s dad at Ontario Volleyball when I was starting my career in sport management, and these two talented athletes have been supported by Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) throughout their careers. Paris 2024 will be Melissa and Brandie’s second Olympic appearance, having both competed at Tokyo 2020 with different partners. Melissa and Brandie teamed up in 2022 and have since made the podium at numerous international and professional beach volleyball tournaments. They are currently ranked 4th in the world. Melissa is also a former World Champion and a two-time Commonwealth Games Champion, having won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship in 2019 and the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022, all with her former partner Sarah Pavan.

When to watch

Women’s Beach Volleyball: July 27 – August 9

Anne Merklinger

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, Own The Podium

Canada Basketball is set to make history at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. For the first time, Canada has earned Olympic qualification for the women’s team, the men’s team, and the 3×3 women’s basketball team. This milestone highlights the growing strength and depth of basketball in Canada. The women’s, men’s, and 3×3 women’s basketball teams are heading into Paris with significant momentum. Each team has demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, and teamwork throughout the qualification process, providing a strong foundation as they prepare to compete on the world stage. Additionally, both the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams will compete at the Paralympic Games. Known for their competitive spirit and resilience, these teams add to Canada’s robust presence in basketball. With no regrets and a steadfast focus on winning, Canada Basketball is poised to make a substantial impact at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, representing Canada with pride and inspiring future generations.

When to watch

Men’s Basketball: July 27 – August 10 Women’s Basketball: July 28 – August 11 Women’s 3×3 Basketball: July 30 – August 5 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball: August 29 – September 7 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball: August 29 – September 8

Mel Davidson

4x gold medal winning coach

Canada has recently become a basketball nation. Five teams will represent Canada in Paris: three Olympic teams (Men’s, Women’s, and Women’s 3×3) and two Paralympic teams (Men’s and Women’s). The Women’s 3×3 team, featuring the top three FIBA Women’s 3×3 players, won a nail-biter in their final Olympic qualifying game to secure their spot. The Men’s team, qualifying for the Olympics for the first time in over two decades, is riding high after beating the USA to win bronze at last year’s world championships. With their most talented roster ever, the big question is whether they can build on the team approach developed over the past four years. The Women’s Wheelchair basketball team has an experienced and talented roster capable of medaling in Paris. However, after three coaching changes in three years, the question is whether their current stability will allow them to gel in time for a deep run at the 2024 Paralympics.

When to watch

Men’s Basketball: July 27 – August 10 Women’s Basketball: July 28 – August 11 Women’s 3×3 Basketball: July 30 – August 5 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball: August 29 – September 7 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball: August 29 – September 8

Rosie MacLennan

2x gold medal winning trampoline gymnast

Jacqueline (Jackie) Simoneau is an artistic swimmer heading into her third Olympic Games. Known for her grace and precision in the water, Jackie has been a key figure in Canadian artistic swimming for years. After competing in the Tokyo Olympics, she decided to retire and pursue a doctorate in podiatric medicine, demonstrating her dedication and versatility both in and out of the pool. In 2023, Jackie made the surprising decision to put her studies on hold and rejoin the national team. Her return has been nothing short of remarkable. At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships, she played a pivotal role in helping Canada qualify a full team and a duet for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her leadership and experience have been invaluable to the team, inspiring her teammates and contributing to their overall success. Jackie’s most significant achievement came when she made history by becoming the World Champion in the free solo routine. This victory marked the first time a Canadian had won the title in 33 years, cementing her legacy in the sport. Her comeback and subsequent triumphs have not only elevated her status but also shone a spotlight on Canadian artistic swimming on the world stage.

When to watch

Artistic Swimming: August 5 – August 10

Garry Watanabe

Principal trainer & sport lead, Third Factor

I’ll be watching the team rowing events, where brief yet intense races unfold in just 5-7 minutes. These events are a captivating showcase of teamwork, skill, and endurance, as athletes push themselves to their absolute limits in the pursuit of victory. The synchronization and power displayed by the rowers create a thrilling spectacle that never fails to inspire. Rowing demands both physical strength and mental resilience, with athletes enduring massive pain and exhaustion while maintaining perfect coordination. This combination makes rowing one of the most challenging and compelling sports to watch, drawing viewers who appreciate the dedication required to excel. For a deeper insight into the preparation and commitment involved in rowing, I highly recommend The Four-Year Olympian by Jeremiah Brown. This book provides a gripping account of Brown’s journey and the immense effort needed to compete at the highest level, offering an inspiring story of perseverance and achievement.

When to watch

Rowing: July 27 – August 3
Our company’s roots go back to the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta. Our founders, Peter Jensen and Sandra Stark, were mental performance coaches to Canada’s figure skating team – a team that won 3 out of Canada’s 5 medals on home soil. The business community took notice, and Peter and Sandra were soon working with organizations across the country to apply the principles they used in sport to a wide variety of other settings. Fast forward to 2022 and Olympic Sport is still our top R&D lab. We work with athletes and coaches at the highest level to understand how they perform, collaborate and lead, and synthesize their best practices for use across disciplines – from business, to academia, industry, philanthropy and beyond. We’ve had the privilege of working with dozens of athletes and coaches who are representing Canada at the Beijing Games. Here’s a roundup of who we’ll be cheering for this February.

The Canadian Ski Team

Ski Cross is one of the most exciting freestyle skiing events at the Games. We’ve been proud to work with the athletes and coaches on both the men’s and women’s teams to help them build self-awareness, leverage their strengths, and perform under pressure. We’ll be cheering them on in the Ski Cross events on February 17th & 18th. Our work with Alpine Canada has also taken us to the downhill skiing events. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Team Canada at the men’s and women’s Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super-G events.

Figure skaters from around the world

Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson are not just Olympic medallists, but widely regarded as the top coaches in the sport. They’ve shared their perspectives on performing in critical moments with us, and we’ll be cheering on their skaters as they compete for the podium in Beijing. Tracy Wilson is an Olympic Medallist and 7-time Canadian champion

The Canadian Women’s Hockey Teams

We’ll be staying up late to watch Team Canada battle to reclaim Gold. We’ll also be keeping our eye Marie-Philip Poulin who is not just one of the best pressure performers in the world, but the best hockey player in the world, full stop according to our co-founder Peter Jensen. At Third Factor, we are sad to learn that Team Canada will not be competing at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. At the same time, we are also incredibly proud of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees for taking the lead and making the right decision for the health and safety of Canada’s athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and fans. The chaos, challenges and health risks posed by COVID-19 make the decision to withdraw from the Games a necessary one. Athletes are unable to train. Coaches and support teams cannot properly plan. Travel is unavailable and unsafe for family members and other attendees. And the sponsors that support athletes and teams are now unable to proceed with their marketing efforts without risking the appearance of being insensitive and out-of-touch given the current reality.
“We stand ready to support our athletes, coaches and leadership organizations through the coming months and in Team Canada’s inevitable return to Olympic competition.”
By withdrawing Team Canada from the Tokyo Games, the COC and CPC have made an important statement that this crisis is bigger than the Olympic and Paralympic Games and that our collective health and safety should be our only priority over the coming months. They have also given a clear answer to the athletes who have been tortured by uncertainty and were wondering whether they would have a chance to compete and, if so, whether they would have to risk their health in order to do so. We join the COC and CPC in calling on the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees to postpone the Tokyo Games by one year so that all members of the international community may focus on their physical, mental and financial health, caring for loved ones, and doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. For the last three decades, our organization has been proud to support the Olympic community in Canada. We stand ready to support our athletes, coaches and leadership organizations through the coming months and in Team Canada’s inevitable return to Olympic competition. Signed, Dane Jensen, Peter Jensen, Sandra Stark, Peggy Baumgartner, Garry Watanabe & Cyndie Flett on behalf of the entire team at Third Factor.

Editor’s note: Since publishing, we have learned that the IOC has officially postponed the start of the Tokyo Games.

This Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of the Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Here at Third Factor, we were incredibly proud to directly and indirectly support many of the athletes and coaches that would go on to become household names. Ten years later, we are still committed to supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes and coaches in their bid for the podium. And three incredible stories from the 2010 Games continue to influence our understanding of the power of pressure and the way we interact with our clients across all areas of our business.

Changing a Canadian mindset

Prior to the Vancouver Olympics, Canada was known in Olympic circles for one notable achievement: it was the only nation in the world to host the Games without a local athlete winning gold. In fact, Canada had achieved this feat twice; first at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal, and again at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. When Vancouver won the bid to host the 2010 Winter Games, Canada’s 13 winter national sport organizations were determined to change that reputation. A report by sport management consultant and Olympic Hall of Famer, Cathy Priestner Allinger, found that Canadian athletes ranked top-five in the world the year before the games were far less likely to go on to win an Olympic medal than international athletes who were performing at the same level.
“Canada’s challenge wasn’t producing world-class athletes; it was producing world-class athletes who could perform with all the distractions and pressure of the Olympics”
In other words, Canada’s challenge wasn’t producing world-class athletes; it was producing world-class athletes who could perform with all the distractions and pressure of the Olympics. Brian Orser was one of Canada’s star athletes at the Calgary Games in 1988, and he spoke to us about the pressure of competing in front of a home crowd.
To help Canada’s performers prepare for the pressure of Olympic competition, the not-for-profit organization Own the Podium was formed to provide and fund support structures designed to give Canadian athletes the preparation that would allow them to access their best performances in the face of Olympic pressure. Own The Podium was a spectacular success. At Vancouver, Canadian athletes won 26 medals, including a record-setting 14 gold medals, placing Canada third overall. Since that time, Canadian athletes have been ‘converting’ at a rate of around 70% and Canadians now enter Olympic Games with an expectation that they could indeed, be the best in the world.

The impact of self-awareness and communication strategies

We had always believed that self-awareness was a critical component of team performance, and there was no doubt on the subject following our work with the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team at the Vancouver Games. In 2010, the team was looking to defend its gold medal from the Turin Games four years prior. They were also preparing to face their American arch-rivals who had bested them at the world championship the year before. As the team’s mental performance coach, Third Factor Founder, Dr. Peter Jensen, was tasked with helping the team perform through the high-stakes tournament while under intense scrutiny from the home crowd. To help keep the team running like a finely tuned engine, he elected to bring in our collaboration guru, Peggy Baumgartner, to guide the team through our Self-Aware Team process. Through the program, the team was able to gain a better understanding of their tendencies – both individually and as a team under pressure. And, they leveraged that new understanding to design systems to keep communication flowing effectively when the pressure mounted. The players remember it as a challenge that was both extremely difficult, and extremely worthwhile.
With a strategy in place, the team was able to communicate and stay consistent whether things were going well or poorly. They were able to work their way through the ups and downs of Olympic competition and successfully defend their gold medal on home ice. What we learned is that when you have a high functioning team – even one that’s among the best in the world – one of the most powerful ways to further enhance their performance is to increase their self-awareness and communication skills.

The convergence of health and performance

For us at Third Factor, there was a hidden storyline we were following that was far more significant than the Olympics. One week prior to the start of the Games, Peter Jensen was with the Women’s Olympic Hockey Team in Jasper, Alberta, at their pre-Olympic camp when he received confirmation that he had throat and neck cancer.
“Peter had to keep the information from the team so as not to become an enormous distraction”
Peter had to notify the leadership at Hockey Canada and, with their blessing, continued to support the mental performance of the Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. As they headed into their most important competition of the four-year cycle, Peter had to keep the information from the team so as not to become an enormous distraction while simultaneously teaching skills, being at his best and dispensing regular doses of his usual sense of humour. Peter is currently cancer-free and maintains a crazy busy schedule delivering keynote speeches to audiences big and small around the world. Peter wrote about his experience in his own words in his whitepaper, When Health and Performance Converge: What I (re)Learned From Cancer. It’s a great read if you’re curious to learn more about how he was able to stay resilient through such a difficult time. To those of us at Third Factor, the 2010 Vancouver Games are a reminder that Peter doesn’t just teach people how to handle pressure, he lives and breathes the content.